Final Chorus

The Philosophy in final Chorus Song in Oedipus Rex

Context of the Final Chorus (Exodus Scene)

The last chorus comes after the great revelation — when Oedipus discovers that he has killed his father, Laius, and married his mother, Jocasta. Jocasta has hanged herself, and Oedipus, in despair, blinds himself.

The chorus, made up of Theban elders, now reflects on the tragic downfall of their once-great king. Their song becomes a moral lesson and a universal truth about human life and fortune.

Main Idea

The chorus recalls how Oedipus was once admired for his wisdom and success — the saviour of Thebes — but now stands ruined. His life shows how human greatness can suddenly turn into misery. The chorus sings:

“O Oedipus, most noble, most unfortunate,
whom even all men envied once for your great fortune —
see into what a storm of dreadful doom you’ve fallen.”

Theme of the Song: The Fragility of Human Happiness

The chorus then delivers the final moral message of the play — that no man should be called happy until his life is over and his fate is known.

“Count no man happy till he dies,
free of pain at last.
This is the central lesson of Greek tragedy — that human life is uncertain and controlled by fate. Even the most successful person can fall into disaster. Happiness is not in wealth, power, or fame, but in living with peace and dying without suffering.

Tone and Emotion of the Chorus

The tone of this last ode is solemn, reflective, and sorrowful. The chorus is not angry with Oedipus — they pity him. He is not a villain but a tragic man punished by destiny. The chorus recognizes Oedipus’s courage in facing the truth and punishing himself. His blindness is both a punishment and a form of enlightenment — he finally “sees” who he really is.

Moral and Philosophical Meaning

The chorus concludes with a philosophical warning for all humans:

• Life is full of uncertainty.

• Fortune can change in an instant.

• No one can escape destiny.

• True happiness comes only with the peace of death.

Sophocles uses the chorus to teach that pride, ignorance, and overconfidence lead to downfall, and that human beings should remain humble before the gods and fate.